From Scalpel to Spade: How I Left My Dream Job and Found Real Joy
After 30 years as an anesthesiologist, I traded the operating room for gardening gloves, guitars, and life’s simpler pleasures. Here’s why I couldn’t be happier
Retirement for many high-achieving professionals, especially doctors, sounds like a crash waiting to happen. Thirty years as an anesthesiologist may seem hard to leave behind, yet when the time came, I didn’t hesitate. Leaving behind a career I loved was more than a big decision; it was a leap of faith. And yet, to my surprise, I didn’t just transition — I thrived.
Here’s how I reinvented happiness after walking away from my so-called dream job.
Saying Goodbye to the White Coat
Thirty years in the operating room shape you. As an anesthesiologist, I managed more than medication — I calmed nerves, held lives in my hands, and juggled critical decisions in seconds. Every day brought new challenges, and that thrill became my fuel.
But after decades in the hospital, I felt a whisper of something different. It started quietly — an awareness of missed dinners, sacrificed hobbies, and endless nights of rest in brief intervals. While I still loved the work, I…
